Smolyan is located in the Central Rhodopes and is built along the banks of Cherna River. Apart from being a district centre, the town is also a popular tourist and cultural destination. After the impetuous development of the winter resort Pamporovo now Smolyan registers an increase in its economic growth and the number of people willing to visit the town and its surroundings. Tourists can choose from many 3-star hotels and smaller family-held ones, which offer the desired conditions and facilities for an adequate holiday. The increasing number of guests from Bulgaria and abroad has led to an improvement of the accommodations in the town. Now many of the hotels and guest houses have modern conveniences, including Internet access (both wire and Wireless), digital TV stations, luxury bathrooms, fitness and sauna, as well as conference and banquet halls. You may also often find a restaurant in your hotel that offers traditional dishes from the region or international cuisine. Guest houses are not a popular type of accommodation in Smolyan but tourists may find self-contained apartments or rent a room in a family house. Hotels are mainly located in the broad centre or in Raikovo quarter. Some of the accommodations are listed in the outlying quarters of Smolyan or right outside the town, next to the main road. Generally, the number of hotels in Smolyan is constantly rising, also due to the many tourist sites near the Rhodopes town - the caves of Uhlovitsa and Radina, the popular rock called The Bride, the Smolyan waterfall and Smolyan lakes, the Bloody wall and many others. Besides the ski resort Pamporovo, Smolyan offers alternatives for mountain tourism and winter activities. There are a lot of eco-paths where visitors can enjoy the beauty of the Bulgarian nature. Smolyan also belongs to the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria and is the home of one of the several astronomical observatories and planetariums in Bulgaria.